COLUMBUS -- The Buckeyes knew there would be no Bowl Championship Series bowl game this season.

They also realized they wouldn't be playing in the Big Ten Championship Game.

But after their 26-21 hard-fought victory over rival Michigan on Saturday, No. 4 Ohio State became just the sixth unbeaten and untied team in the 123-year history of the program.

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The Buckeyes were also perfect in 1916 (7-0), 1944 (9-0), 1954 (10-0), 1968 (10-0) and 2002 (14-0). They were national champions in 1954, '68 and '02.

There will be no championship banners this season after the NCAA banned the program from playing in a bowl game because of the memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal. That still didn't prevent much of the 105,899 in Ohio Stadium from swarming the field afterward in a sea of humanity.

Ohio State is one of two unbeaten teams in the nation -- pending 11-0 Notre Dame's game at USC. A high ranking in the Associated Press poll is as good as it will get for the Buckeyes (12-0, 8-0 in Big Ten Leaders Division).

"I'm not going to get into the 'what ifs,'" Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. "You can't control what you can't control.

"We're 12-0 and I'm going to see to it when you walk into that Woody Hayes (practice) facility that this team will never be forgotten because they deserve that."

Offensive coordinator Tom Herman said the entire team knew the NCAA's ruling in January.

"It wasn't like someone yanked it out from us a couple weeks ago," Herman said. "We knew our task was to go out and beat whoever they put in front of us. At the end of the day, this was going to be it. There was no sorrow. There's no regret."

The complexion of the game completely changed in the second half. Offense suddenly came at a premium. The 109th meeting between the two Big Ten powers evolved into a defensive struggle.

The Buckeyes stonewalled No. 20 Michigan (8-4, 6-2) in the second half, holding it scoreless and limiting it to just 60 yards total offense.

It started with keying on the dangerous Denard Robinson. The Wolverines quarterback carried the ball six times for 124 yards in the first half (20.7-yard average). That included a 67-yard touchdown run where he broke tackles from OSU defenders Travis Howard and Christian Bryant and scored with 40 seconds left in the first half. It handed Michigan a 21-17 advantage.

Robinson had four carries for minus-2 yards in the second half.

The turning point in the game might have occurred on Michigan's first possession of the second half. Wolverines coach Brady Hoke decided to go for it on fourth-and-3 from their own 48-yard line. Robinson was stopped for a 2-yard loss by OSU linebacker Ryan Shazier.

"I felt good about our offense because they had just gotten two first downs in a row," Hoke said. "I had confidence in our defense, as well, so we went for it."

It led to a 28-yard field goal by Buckeyes place-kicker Drew Basil with 8 minutes, 12 seconds left in the third quarter. The Buckeyes took the lead for good on Basil's kick, 23-21.

The Wolverines were able to hold Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller in check.

He completed 14 of 18 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown, a 14-yarder to wide receiver Corey "Philly" Brown in the second quarter. Miller ran for 57 yards on 20 carries.

Basil's 25-yard field goal in the fourth quarter was set up by cornerback Travis Howard's fumble recovery at the Wolverines' 10-yard line. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins caused a fumble on quarterback Devin Gardner.

It was one of three turnovers in the second half by the Ohio State defense.

"We had too many turnovers," Robinson said. "That's why we lost. In order to win this game, you have to have control of the ball. Unfortunately, we did not have much success running the ball in the second half."

Safety C.J. Barnett had the lone interception in the game in the fourth quarter for the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes were extremely fortunate to be trailing, 21-20, at halftime. "Philly" Brown muffed a punt, the Buckeyes committed six penalties for 49 yards and they missed tackles all over the field.

Miller moved the Buckeyes 30 yards on five plays to set up Basil's 52-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Both teams displayed their big-play capabilities on their first scoring drives in the opening quarter.

Miller connected on a 52-yard pass play to wide receiver Devin Smith. Two plays later, running back Carlos Hyde plowed over from the 3 with 12:41 left in the first quarter.

The Wolverines knotted the score at 7 on a 75-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree from Gardner with 7:10 remaining in the first.

In the end, though, the Buckeyes prevailed for the 12th time this season.

"I'm hoping the guys get that taste and they want to do it again," Meyer said. "Once you taste that, it tastes really good."